IVF and Egg Donation in Portugal
IVF in Portugal - basic information
| IVF and Egg Donation in Portugal - availability and limits | |
|---|---|
| IVF with own eggs in Portugal – average cost | €4,000 - €4,600 |
| Egg donation in Portugal – average costs | €6,300 - €7,300 |
| Average egg donation success rates in Portugal* | 46% |
| Maximum patient - woman age | 49 (+364 days) |
| IVF treatments for single women | Allowed |
| IVF treatments for female same sex couples | Allowed |
| Gender selection | Not allowed |
| Maximum number of embryos to transfer IVF with donor eggs | 3 except in women over 35 |
| Maximum number of embryos to transfer IVF with own eggs | 3 except in women over 35 |
| Egg donation - anonymity | Non-anonymous |
| Egg donor availability | Very good |
| Egg donor age | 18-35 |
| Maximum number of donations of the same egg donor | 4 in their lifetime |
| Sperm donor - maximum age | 45 |
| IVF clinics in Portugal | Check IVF clinics in Portugal >>> |
| Maximum number of children born from the same sperm donor | 8 families |
Why IVF in Portugal?
Portugal has surely one of the most progressive IVF laws in Europe nowadays. All assisted reproduction techniques (ART) are available to heterosexual couples, single women and female couples. The variety of treatments is quite impressive. Gamete donations are non-anonymous which is extremely important not only in terms of children’s possible future health issues but also from the point of view of human rights standards. Besides all of that, Portugal is simply well-known for its high-quality medical care, many touristic attractions and the amazing hospitality of its people.
Reasons to go to Portugal for IVF or Egg Donation
- liberal and patient-friendly IVF law
- non-anonymous egg/sperm/embryo donation (especially important if you want to know your future child’s origins)
- transparent and controlled gamete donation process
- first 3 IVF/ICSI cycles publicly funded
- access to most IVF methods
- attractive tourist destination for combining treatment with holidays
IVF clinics in Portugal
Portugal can boast some best equipped and advanced IVF centres, with experienced staff and high standards of patient care. There are both public funded and completely private ART centres: public – 9 (36%); private – 16 (64%). Most of them are located in Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra.
Fertility treatments in Portugal
Portugal is famous for its tolerant legal framework for IVF services. Assisted reproduction techniques are available to women aged 18-50 and to men between 18 and 60 years of age. What is very important is the fact that all the treatments are equally open to infertile heterosexual couples, single women and female couples. IVF and ICSI are performed with both own and donated gametes. Donation of eggs, sperm and embryos is permitted when a woman is not able to become pregnant by any other means and where the quality of gametes can be assured.
On April 24, 2018, the Portuguese Constitutional Court, while deciding on a surrogacy legislation issue, “accidentally” put a ban on donor anonymity (which it ruled in favour of only 9 years earlier). Since then, all egg/sperm/embryo donors have to realise that their personal data (including their name and surname) will be available to their offspring.
Both PGS (preimplantation genetic screening) and PGD ( preimplantation genetic diagnosis) are allowed. PGD is performed only for serious illnesses. The use of own cryopreserved gametes in assisted reproduction techniques is permitted. Commercial surrogacy is banned.
IVF for lesbian couples in Portugal
In Portugal, female couples have exactly the same rights of access to motherhood as heterosexual couples. Among others, they may undergo reciprocal IVF. In reciprocal IVF, one partner is subjected to ovarian stimulation. Her eggs are collected and fertilised with sperm from a non-anonymous donor in order to create embryos. The embryos are then cultured and transferred to the uterus of the other partner – the one who will try to get pregnant. In such a way, both partners participate in the treatment and share the pregnancy.
Egg donation in Portugal
In Portugal, egg donation is allowed and non-anonymous. The beneficiaries of gamete donation treatments are infertile heterosexual couples, single women and female couples. The number of donations per donor is limited: egg donors can donate 4 times per lifetime (in comparison, sperm donors can donate up to eight families). The process is controlled and transparent – everything is registered in the database of the national ART authority. Besides, the process of donor compensation in Portugal is fixed by law: it is €878 for egg donors (the same for all public and private centres).
Egg donor information available in Portugal
Egg donations are based on the rule of non-anonymity which means that donor-conceived children have the right to access the personal information on their donors (including their name and surname) at the age of 18. The access to donor’s ID is granted and guaranteed by the Portuguese state and the information about donors is kept for 75 years. It means that an 18-year-old child does not have to decide whether they want to learn about their donor’s identity or not. The decision can be done later and the information will still be available.
Egg donor qualification
Egg donors in Portugal have to be between 18 and 35 years old. They can donate up to 4 times per lifetime and they are compensated. Donors are selected using strict medical criteria, involving a full gynaecological examination and a battery of blood tests (screening for e.g. hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV, HTLV and syphilis). There is also a psychological evaluation and a detailed interview conducted, during which there is time to discuss the donor’s reasons and the social, ethical and legal ramifications of donation. Donors are also screened for known genetic and hereditary diseases in their immediate family and undergo tests to look for any transmissible chromosome disorders. For the selection of the egg donor, the physical characteristics (phenotype) of the patients are also taken into consideration.
Embryo donation in Portugal
Embryo donation is allowed and non-anonymous in Portugal. The beneficiaries are infertile heterosexual couples, single women and female couples.
Both eggs and embryos can be legally vitrified in Portugal and stored at the fertility clinic. However, the minimum length of frozen embryo storage is 3 years. Patients, therefore, need to pay the whole amount for the 3-year storage of their remaining embryos which they can use later in the consecutive cycle.
IVF cost in Portugal
When it comes to the costs of IVF treatments, Portugal places itself in the middle range price. The cost of IVF with ICSI starts from around €4000. In case of egg donation cycles, the costs range from €6,000 to €8,000.
However, one has to bear in mind that not all clinics are transparent about the costs associated with additional services. When you contact the clinic of your choosing, make sure their advertised price includes
- the donor’s fee, her medication and screening (if you’re interested in egg donation)
- egg retrieval
- sperm collection and sperm preparation
- ICSI
- IVF add-ons (techniques in IVF Lab)
- transfer of blastocysts
vitrification (freezing) and storage of embryos/blastocysts - frozen embryo transfer.
| IVF costs abroad – popular countries | ||
|---|---|---|
| Country / IVF treatment type | Egg donation costs | IVF own eggs costs |
| Spain | €5,900 – €11,000 | €4,100 – €7,100 |
| Czech Republic | €4,500 – €8,000 | €2,700 – €5,700 |
| Greece | €5,000 – €8,000 | €3,200 – €6,200 |
| North Cyprus | €4,500 – €6,000 | €2,700 – €5,700 |
| Portugal | €6,000 – €8,000 | €3,200 – €6,200 |
| Latvia | €5,000 – €8,000 | €3,200 – €6,200 |
| UK | €10,000 – €14,000 | €6,000 – €10,000 |
| Denmark | €7,000 – €8,300 | €3,300 – €4,500 |
| Argentina | €5,700 – €9,530 | €3,330 – €5,000 |
| Ukraine | €4,000 – €7,000 | €2,200 – €5,200 |
| Poland | €4,000 – €6,000 | €2,200 – €5,200 |
| Russia | €3,800 – €7,000 | €2,000 – €5,000 |
IVF success rates in Portugal
According to the ESHRE report for 2016 (published in 2020), pregnancy rates for cycle aspirations in Portugal were 29.4% in case of IVF with own eggs and 23.0% in case of ICSI. The pregnancy success rates for egg donation cycles were reported per embryo transfer for freshly donated oocytes (55.5%), for frozen oocytes ( 45.9%) and for thawed oocytes (42.4%).
Important note: ESHRE (European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology) is an independent source that publishes data on the success rates of IVF treatments in European countries; however, their reports are published with a large delay.
| Egg Donation Success Rates* per woman age in Europe – popular countries | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Country / Woman age | <34 | 35-39 | ≥40 |
| Spain | 53.8 | 57.4 | 53.7 |
| Czech Republic | 44.7 | 41.0 | 40.2 |
| Greece | 59.6 | 58.9 | 54.3 |
| North Cyprus | No data / not collected by ESHRE | ||
| Ukraine | 64.3 | 66.3 | 61.9 |
| Russia | 46.7 | 45.5 | 42.8 |
| Portugal | 43.7 | 46.4 | 49.2 |
| Poland | 45.3 | 44.2 | 40.3 |
| Latvia | 100.0* | 16.7* | 7.7* |
| UK | 41.9 | 44.0 | 41.8 |
IVF laws and clinics accreditation in Portugal
IVF treatments in Portugal are regulated by Law Concerning Medically Assisted Reproduction Portugal (law number 32/2006). It was revised in April 2018 when the Constitutional Court of Portugal banned commercial surrogacy and introduced the rule of donors’ non-anonymity. In Portugal, there is a national registry for all ART treatments. It is mandatory and organised under National Competent Authority. There is also a national registry of donors.
IVF in Portugal – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How much does IVF treatment cost in Portugal?
On average, egg donation costs in Portugal oscillate between €6,000 and €8,000. In the case of a single IVF cycle with own eggs, the prices start from around €400. Apart from hidden extras (such as consultations, medications, etc.), foreign patients have to remember about the costs of travel and accommodation. (We compare IVF costs abroad in our post “IVF with donor eggs in overseas clinics”).
What kind of IVF treatment is legally allowed in Portugal?
In Portugal, the maximum age for a woman who wants to undergo IVF treatment is 50 years old. Heterosexual couples, female couples and single mothers are equally accepted. IVF/ICSI with both own and donated gametes are permitted. Lesbian couples can undergo reciprocal IVF that allows both partners to be biologically involved in child creation. According to the Portuguese IVF law, all donation treatments are non-anonymous.
What are IVF success rates in Portugal?
According to the ESHRE 2016 report, IVF success rates in Portugal were in the European average. Pregnancy rates for cycle aspirations in Portugal were 29.4% in the case of IVF with own eggs and 23.0% in the case of ICSI. The pregnancy success rates for egg donation cycles were reported per embryo transfer for freshly donated oocytes (55.5%), for frozen oocytes ( 45.9%) and for thawed oocytes (42.4%).
What are the most frequently chosen cities for IVF treatment in Portugal?
Fertility patients in Portugal generally choose 3 locations: Coimbra, Lisbon, and Porto. It’s where most IVF clinics are located.
What major laws are regulating IVF treatment in the Portugal?
The major law for assisted reproduction technology in the Czech Republic is ‘Act No. 373/2011 Coll., On specific health services’. It is augmented by laws describing healthcare standards and protocols for handling human cells and tissues (372/201135, 296/200846, 422/200857, 227/200668).
If you need help choosing an IVF clinic abroad.
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- Legislation and reimbursement of ART and IUI treatments in Europe,
https://www.eshre.eu/Data-collection-and-research/Consortia/EIM/Legislation-for-ART-and-IUI-treatments - Patients Enquiries Reports 2013-2019, Fertility Clinics Abroad Ltd., Edinburgh, August 2019.
- Patients Enquiries Reports 2013-2019, IVF Media Ltd., Dublin, August 2019.
- ART in Europe, 2016: results generated from European registries by ESHRE
https://academic.oup.com/hropen/article/2020/3/hoaa032/5879305
